592. 


m 


KIT  CARSON 
OF  THE  WEST 


sfiffflsSS 


«W«    '"••'.'  "    ''•''•'"  '   •' 

^^B 

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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


University  of  California  -  Berkeley 


l- 


100 


SUPPLEMENT    TO     THE    COURANT. 


pfwt- 


From  the   Union 
KITt'AHSOiV  OF  THE  WEST 

This  name,  within  a  few  years,  has  become  quite  fa- 
miliar to  the  public,  mainly  through  his  connection  with 
the  expeditions  of  Fremont,  one  of  the  best  of  those' 
lioble  and  original  characters  that  have  from  l<me  to 
time  sprung  up  on  and  beyond  cur  frontier,  retreating 
with  it  to  the  Wnst.  and  drawing  from  association  with 
uncultivated  nature  not  the  rudeness  and  sensualism  of 
the  savage,  bin  genuine  simplicity  and  truthfulness  of 
disposition,  and  generosity,  bravery,  and  single-hearted- 
ness to  a  degree  rarely  found  in  society.  Although  Kit 
has  only  become  known  to  the  reading  people  of  'the 
StHtes'  and  of  Europe  through  Fremont's  reports,  he 
was  long  ago  famous  in  a  world  as  extended,  if  not  as 
populous;  famous  for  excelling  in  all  the  qualities  that 
life  in  the  trackless  and  vast  West  requires  and  develops. 
He  has  been  celebrated  (though  now  aged  only  about 
3"  years)  as  a  hunter,  trapper,  Rnide  or  pilot  of  the 
pnfiries,  and  Indian  fighter,  uniting  to  the  necessary 
characteristics  of  that  adventurous  and  sturdy  class  a 
kindness  of  heart  and  gentleness  of  manner  that  relieve 
it  of  any  possible  harshness  or  asperity.  He  is  now  in 
'the  States,'  having  recently  arrived  with  despatches 
from  California  ;  and  I  have  taken  the  opportunity  to 
extrjct  from  him  a  few  incidents  of  his  eventful  life. — 
He  is  worthy  of  an  honorable  and  more  extended  me- 
moir ;  and  were  his  adventures  fully  written  out  they 
would  possess  au  interestequal  to  any  personal  narrative 
whatever. 

Christopher  Carson  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in  the  year 
1810  or  1311,  his  father  having  been  one  of  the  early 
settlers,  and  also  a  noted  hunter  and  Indian  fighter.  In 
the  year  following  Kit's  birth,  the  family  removed,  for 
the  sake  of  more  elbow  room  than  the  advancing  popu- 
lation of  Kentucky  left  them,  to  the  territory  of  Missouri. 
On  this  frontier,  bred  to  border  lite,  Kit  remained  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  when  he  joined  a  trading  party  to  Santa 
Fe.  This  was  his  introduction  to  those  vast  plains  that 
stretch  beyond  the  state  of  Missouri.  Instead  of  re- 
turning home,  Kit  found  his  way,  by  various  adventures, 
South,  through  New  Mexico,  to  the  copper  mines  of 
Chihuahua,  where  he  was  employed  some  months  as  a 
teamster. 

When  about  seventeen  years  old  he  made  his  first  ex- 
pedition asn  trapper.  This  was  with  a  parly  which 
had  been  induced  by  favorable  accounts  of  fresh  trap- 
ping grounds  on  the  Rio  Colorado  of  California  to  au  ad- 
venture; so  that  Kit's  first  exploits  were  in  the  same  re- 
mote and  romantic  region  where,  during  the  last  year, 
he  and  all  his  comrades,  with  their  commander,  have 
earned  imperishable  honor.  The  enterprise  was  suc- 
cessful, and  Kit  relates  many  interesting  anecdotes  of  the 
hardships  of  the  wildei  ness  aud  ol  the  encounters  of  his 
party  with  ihe  Indians. 

The  Mexican  authorities  and  se'.tlers  in  California, 
were  even  at  that  time  jealous  of  the  Americans,  and 
threatened  to  seize  this  inoffensive  and  roving  party  of 
beaver  catchers.  They  made  good  their  return,  howev- 
er, to  Taos,  in  New  Mexico;  whence,  soon  alter,  Kit 
joined  a  trapping  party  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Ar- 
kansas, (likewise  a  region  embraced,  since  ilia  last  pub- 
lished expedition,  in  the  surveys  of  Col.  Fremont.) — I 
Without  recrossing  tha  prairies,  Kit  went  Northward  to 
the  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  that  gives  rise  to  the 
Missouri  and  Columbia  rivers,  and  there  remained  near 
eight  years,  engaged  in  the  then  important  occupation  of 
trapping.  The  great  demand  for  tho  beaver,  and  the 
consequent  high  prices  at  that  time  paid  for  the  peltries, 
gave  an  additional  stimulus  to  the  adventurous  spirit  of 
the  young  rneu  of  the  West,  and  drew  nearly  all  who 
preferred  the  excitements  and  hazards  of  life  in  the 
wilderness  to  quieter  pursuits,  into  the  recesses  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Here  a  peculiar  class  was  formed  ; 
the  elements,  the  sturdy,  uncurbed  character  of  the  fron- 
tier; the  circumstances  that  ialluenced  and  formed  it, 
nature  in  her  wildest,  roughest,  and  grandest  aspects— 
savages,  both  as  associates  aud  foes,  «f  every  cast,  from 
tho  wretched  root  diggers  to  the  vindictive  Blackfee'. 
and  the  courageous  and  warlike  Crows — and  a  vocation 
of  constant  labor,  privation  and  peril  in  every  shape,  yet 
of  gains  ol  a  nature  and  degree  to  give  it  somewhat  of 
the  characteristics  of  gambling.* 

The  decrease  of  the  beaver  before  a  pursuit  of  the 

"laix  dollars  was  the  price  paid  to  the  trapper,  at  that 
time,  fora  beaver  skin;  and  a  good  backwoodsman  would  se- 
cure from  four  to  seven  of  a  night;  so  that,  notwithstanding 
the  exorbitantcharges  of  the  companies  for  every  necessary 
or  luxury  furnisher!  to  the  trappers,  (forexample,  twenty  dol- 
lars for  a  blanket,  two  Hollars  fora  tin  cup  full  of  brown  sugar, 
and  the  same  for  ihe  same  measure  of  coffee,)  the  trappeia 
were  still  invited  by  the  frequent  receipt  of  such  sums  asgave 
additional  zeit  and  fascination  to  the  pursu't, 


poor  animal  so  ruthless  ns  was  thus  stimulated,  nnd  the 
substitution  of  other  commodities  for  the  beaver  fur, 
have  left  trapping  scarcely  worth  following  as  a  vocation; 
and  tho  race  of  trappers  has  nearly  disappeared  from  the 
mountain  gorges  where  they  built  their  rude  lodges, 
where  they  set  their  traps  for  the  wily  beaver,  where 
were  their  frequent  combats  with  the  savages  and  with 
wild  beasts  not  less  formidable.  In  the  school  of  men 
thus  formed  by  hardship,  exposure,  peril  and  temptation, 
our  hero  acquired  all  their  virtues  and  escaped  their 
vices.  He  became  noted  through  the  extent  of  the 
trapping  grounds,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains as  a  successful  trapper,  an  unfailing  shot,  an  uner- 
ring guide,  und  for  bravery,  sagacity,  aud  steadiness  in 
all  circumstances.  He  was  chosen  to  lead  in  almost  all 
enterprises  of  unusual  danger,  and  in  all  attacks  on  the 
Indians.  At  one  time,  with  a  party  of  twelve,  he  track- 
ed a  band  of  sixty  Crows,  who  had  stolen  some  of  the 
horses  belonging  to  the  trappers,  .-.ut  loose  the  animals 
which  were  fied  wiihiu  ten  feet  of  the  strong  fort  of  logs 
in  which  the  Indians  had  taken  shelter,  attacked  them, 
and  made  good  his  retreat  with  the  recovered  horses  ;  an 
Indian  of  another  tribe,  who  was  with  the  trappers, 
bringing  away  a  Crow  seal  pas  a  trophy. 

In  one  combat  with  Ihe  Blackfeet,  Carson  received  a 
rifle  ball  in  bis  left  shoulder,  breaking  it.  Save  this,  he 
has  escaped  the  manifold  dangers  to  which  he  has  been 
exposed,  without  serious  bodily  injury.  Of  course  in 
so  turbulent  aud  unrestrained  a  life,  there  were  not  uu- 
frequent  personal  encounters  among  the  trappers  them- 
selves, nor  could  the  most  peaceably  disposed  always 
avoid  them.  These  were  most  frequent  and  savage  at 
the  periods  when  the  trappers  went  in  the  'rendezvous' 
as  were  called  the  points  wherethe  companies  kept  their 
establishments  for  receiving  the  peltries  and  supplying 
the  trappers.  Here  a  few  days  ,of  indulgence  were 
commonly  allowed  himself  by  the  trapper,  and  there 
was  much  drinking  and  gambling,  and  consequently 
fighting.  Fends,  growing  out  of  national  feelings, 
would  also,  naturally  enough,  sometimes  occur  among 
the  trappers — there  being  Canadians  and  Mexicans  as 
well  as  Americans:  all  having  pride  of  race  and  country. 

On  line  occasion,  a  Frenchman  wlm  ranked  as  a  buily 
had  whipped  a  good  many  Canadians,  and  then  began 
to  insult  the  Americans,  saying  they  were  only  worth 
being  whipped  with  switches.  At  this  Carson  fired  up 
and  »aid,  'He  was  the  most  trilling  one  among  the 
Americans,  and  the  Canadian  might  begin  with  him. — 
After  some  little  more  talk,  each  went  off'and  armed  him- 
self— Carson  with  a  pistol,  the  Frenchman  with  a  rille — 
and  both  mounted  tor  the  fight.  Riding  up  until  their 
horses' heads  touched,  they  fired  almost  at  the  same  in- 
stant, Carson  a  little  the  quickest,  and,  his  ball  passing 
through  the  Frenchman's  hand,  made  him  jerk  up  his 
gun,  and  sent  the  ball  which  was  intended  for  Carson's 
heart  grazing  by  his  left  eye  and  singeing  his  hair. — 
This  is  the  only  serious  personal  quarrel  of  Carson's 
life,  as  he  is,  like  most  very  bravo  men,  of  a  peaceable 
and  gcyitle  temper. 

Col.  Fremont  owed  his  good  fortune  in  procuring  Car- 
son's services  to  an  accidental  meeting  on  the  steamboat 
above  St  Louis — neither  having  ever  before  heard  of 
the  other.  It  was  at  the  commencement  of  Fremont's 
first  expedition.  Carson  continued  with  it  until,  ir»  its 
return,  it  had  recrossed  the  mountains.  His  courage, 
fidelity  nnd  excellent  character  so  far  conciliated  the 
good  will  of  the  commander  that,  in  his  second  expedi- 
tion, he  gladly  availed  himself  again  of  Kit's  services, 
on  meeting  with  him,  as  he  chanced  to  do,  on  the  con- 
fines of  New  Meticn.  Kit  again  left  the  party  after  its 
arrival  this  side  of  tlie  mountains — not,  however,  until 
Fremont  had  obtained  a  promise  from  him  to  join  the 
third  expedition,  in  case  one  should  be  organized. — 
Some  incidents  will  bo  interesting  connected  with  this 
latter  expedition,  which  was  interrupted  in  its  purely  sci- 
entific character  by  tho  treachery  of  the  Mexican  chief 
(Castro)  compelling  Fremont  to  change  his  peaceful  em- 
ployment, and  which,  owing  to  the  continuance  of  the 
war  with  Mexico  is  not  yet  completed. 

In  ttiQ  interim  between  Fremont's  second  and  third 
expeditions,  Carson  hud  settled  himself  near  Taos,  and 
had  bef;uo  to  farm,  preparing  to  lead  a  quiet  life,  when 
he  received  a  note  from  Fremont,  written  at  Bent's  Fort, 
reminding  l)im  of  his  promise,  and  telling  him  he  would 
wait  tljere  for  him.  Oo  this,  occasion  Carson  showed 
hisstrong  friendship  for  his  old  commander,  and  the 
generous  and  unselfish  nature  of  his  feelings.  In  four  j 
days  from  receiving  ihe  note  Carson  had  joined  the  party,  | 
having  sold  house  and  farm  for  less  than  half  the  sura  he 
had  just  expended  upon  it.  and  put  his  family  under  the 
protection  of  his  friend,  the  late  Governor  Bent,  until  he 
should  return  from  a  certainly  long  aud  dangerous  jour- 
ney. This  protection,  unfortunately,  was  taken  from 


them  in  the  Into  massacre  at  Taos,  when  Carson's  broth- 
er-in-law was  one  of  the  victims  to  the  fury  of  the  Mex- 
icans against  all  connected  with  the  Americans.  Airs. 
Carson  saved  her  life  bv  flighi,  leaving  them  to  rob  tho 
house  of  every  thing.  Kendall,  and  all  others  who  have 
written  of  their  adventures  in  New  Mexico,  ascribe  the 
highest  character  to  the  women  of  that  country  for  mod- 
esty, generosity,  quick  sympathy,  and  all  feminine  vir- 
tues. To  this  amiable  class  belongs  tho  wife  of  Carson, 
who  has  paid  so  dearly  for  her  affection  for  him. 

The  route  of  the  third  expedition  led  the  party  to  tho 
Southern  and  Western  side  of  the  great  salt  Inke — a  re- 
gion entirely  unexplored,  and  filled,  occordin"  to  the 
superstitions  and  tales  current  among  the  Indians  and 
the  trappers  of  the  .mountains,  with  all  imaginable  hor- 
rors. A  vast  desert,  void  of  vegetation  and  fresh  water, 
abounding  in  quicksands  and  in  brackish  pool-  aud  rivers, 
with  only  subterranean  outlets.  This  was  the  reputed, 
character  of  the  country,  justifying  at  least  the  appre- 
hension of  lack  of  those  indispensables  to  the  voyager 
of  the  wilderness — water  and  grass.  In  truth,  the 
Southern  border  of  the  lake  was  found  to  be  skirted 
with  a  salt  plain  of  about  60  miles  in  width.  Over,  this, 
as  elsewhere,  Carson,  in  his  capacity  of  scout,  was  al- 
ways with  the  advance  party,  to  search  for  water  and 
convenient  places  for  camp — the  usual  signal  of  the  pra- 
ries — a  fire — serving  by  its  column  of  smoke,  to  point 
out  where  the  advance  were  hulling. 

The  neighborhood  of  the  Rio  Colorado  nnd  the  Sier- 
ra Nevada  of  California  is  infested  with  Indian  tribes  of 
hippophagi,  or  horse  eaters,  (as  they  may  well  be  called) 
who  keep  the  Northern  parts  of  California  in  alarm  by 
sweeping  down  into  the  settlement,  and  carrying  off 
horses  and  mules,  which  they  use  for  food.  With  these 
savages  the  expedition  had  several  skirmishes;  but, 
owing  to  the  perpetual  vigilance  which  was  exercised, 
neither  men  nor  animals  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  sava- 
ges. 

When  Fremont's  party,  in  May,  1846,  (not  knowing 
of  the  existence  of  the  war  with  Mexico,)  retired  from 
California,  they  proceeded  North  as  far  as  the  Tlamath 
lake,  in  Oregon,  proposing  to  explore  a  new  routo  into 
the  Willhatnelh  valley. 

A  courier  having  overtaken  Col.  Fremont  there,  to 
say  that  Mr.  Gillespie  and  five  men  were  endeavoring  to 
overtake  him,  he  took  ten  men  and  returned  60  miles 
with  the  courier ;  making  all  haste,  in  order  to  reach 
them  before  night,  and  prevent  any  attack  which  the 
Indians  might  be  tempted  to  mako  on  a  small  party. 
These  Tlamath  Indians,  by  nature  brave  and  warlike, 
have  now  a  new  source  of  power  in  the  iron  arrow  heads 
aud  axes  furnished  them  by  the  British  posts  in  that 
country.  Their  arrows  can  only  be  extracted  from  the 
flesh  by  the  knife,  as  they  are  barbed,  and  of  course  are 
not  to  be  drawn  out.  The  events  of  that  night  aud  the 
days  following  illustrate  so  fully  the  nightly  dangers  of 
hn  Indian  country,  and  the  treacherous  nature  of  savages, 
that  I  will  give  them  in  Carson's  own  words  : 

"Mr.  Gillespie  had  brought  the  colouel  letters  from 
borne — the  first  he  had  had  since  leaving  the  States  the 
year  before — and  he  was  up,  and  kept  a  large  fire  burn- 
ing until  midnight ;  the  rest  of  us  were  tired  out,  and  nil 
went  to  sleep.  This  was  the  only  night  in  all  our  travels, 
except  the  one  night  on  the  island  in  the  salt  lake,  that 
we  failed  to  keep  guard  ;  and  as  the  men  were  so  tired, 
and  we  expected  no  attack  now  that  wo  had  sixteeu  in 
party,  the  colonel  didn't  like  to  ask  it  of  them,  but  sat  up 
late  himself.  Owens  and  I  were  sleeping  together,  and 
we  were  waked  at  the  same  time  by  tho  licks  of  the  axe 
that  killed  our  men.  At  first  I  did'ni  know  it  was  that ; 
but  I  called  to  Basil,  who  was  that  side,  'What's  the 
matter  there  7 — what's  that  fuss  about  7"  He  never  an- 
swered, for  he  was  dead  then,  poor  fellow  ;  and  he  never 
knew  what  killed  him — his  head  had  benn  cut  in,  in  his 
sleep  ;  the  other  groaned  a  little  as  he- died.  The  Del- 
awares  (we  had  four  with  us}  were  sleeping  at  that  fire, 
and  they  sprang  upas  the  Tlmaths  charged  them.  One 
of  them  caught  up  a  gun,  which  was  unloaded  ;  but,  al- 
though he  could  do  no  execution,  he  kept  them  at  bay, 
fighting  like  a  soldier,  and  did'nt  give  up  until  he  was 
shot  full  of  arrows — three  entering  his  heart;  he  died 
bravely. 

As  soon  as  I  had  called  out,  I  saw  it  was  Tudians  in 
the  camp,  and  I  and  Owens  together  cried  out  'Indians.' 
There  were  no  orders  given  ;  ih'ngs  went  0:1  too  fast, 
and  the  colonel  had  men  with  him  that  didn't  need  to  be 
told  oftheirduty.  The  colonel  and  I,  Maxwell,  Owens, 
Godey.aud  Stepp,  jumped  together,  we  six,  and  ran  to 
the  assistance  of  our  Delawares.  I  don't  know  wlo 
fired  and  who  didn't:  but  I  think  it  was  Slepp's  shot 
that  killed  the  Tlamath  chief;  for  it  was  at  the 'crack  of 
Stepp's  gun  that  he  fell.  He  had  an  English  half-axe 
slang  to  his  wrist  by  a  cord,  aud  there  were  forty  arrows 


YViMlUlJ    1   -UMUM'l/Ui    .-<H  I 


SUPPLEMENT  TO     THE     COURANT. 


101 


left  in  his  quiver — the  molt  beautiful  end  warlike  arrows 
I  ever  SHW.  lie  must  have  been  the  bravest  mau 
onion:;  them,  from  the  way  he  was  armed,  and  judging 
by  his  cap.  When  the  Tlaniall»s»w  him  fall,  they  ran; 
but  we  lay,  every  man  widi  his  rifle  cocked,  until  day- 
light, expecting  auol  her  attack. 

"In  the  morning  wo  found  by  the  tracks  that  from  fif 
teen  t»  twenty  of  the  Tlamaths  bad  attacked  us.  They 
had  killed  three  of  our  men  and  wounded  one  of  the 
Delawares,  who  scalped  the  chief,  whom  we  left  where 
lie  fell.  Our  dead  men  we  carried  on  mulej;  but  after 
going  about  ten  miles  we  found  it  impossible  to  get 
them  any  farther  through  the  thick  timber,  and  finding 
a  secret  place  we  buried  (hem  under  logs  and  chunks, 
having  no  way  to  dig  a  grave.  It  was  only  a  few  days 
before  this  fight  that  some  of  these  same  Indians  had 
come  into  our  /;amp  ;  and  although  we  had  only  meat 
for  two  days,  and  felt  sure  that  we  should  have  to  eat 
mules  for  ten  or  fifleeu  days  to  come,  tho  colonel  divid- 
ed with  them,  and  even  had  a  mule  unpacked  to  give 
tbpni  some  tobacco  and  knives." 

The  party  then  retraced  its  way  into  California;  and 
two  days  alter  this  affair,  they  met  a  large  village  of  Tla- 
maths— more  than  a  hundred  warriors.  Carson  was 
ahead  with  ten  men,  but  one  of  them  having  been  dis- 
covered, he  could  not  follow  his  orders,  which  were  to 
send  hack  word  end  let  Fremont  come  up  with  the  rest 
in  case  they  found  Indians.  But  as  they  had  been  seen, 
it  only  remained  to  charge  the  village ;  which  they  did, 
killing  many,  and  putting  to  flight  the  rest.  The  wo- 
men and  children,  Carson  says,  "we  did't  interfere 
with  ;"  but  they  burnt  the  village,  together  with  their 
canoes  and  fl.-hing  nets.  In  a  subsequent  encounter, 
the  same  d-iy,  Carson's  life  was  imminently  exposed. — 
As  they  galloped, up,  he  was  rather  in  advance,  when 
he  observed  an  Indian  Hxiug  his  arrow  to  let  fly  at  him. 
Carson  levelled  his  rifle,  but  it  snapped;  and  in  an  in- 
stant the  arrow  would  have  pierced  him,  had  not  Fre- 
mont, seeing  the  danger,  dashed  his  horse  on  the  In- 
dian, and  knocked  him  down.  "I  owe  my  life  to  them 
two."  says  Carson,  "the  colonel  and  Sacramento  saved 
me."  Sacramento  is  a  noble  California!!  horse,  which 
dipt.  Sutler  gave  to  Col.  Fremont  in  1844,  and  which 
has  twice  made  the  distance  between  Kentucky  and  his 
native  valley,  where  lie  earned  his  name  by  swimming 
the  river  after  which  he  is  called,  at  the  close  of  a  long 
day's  journey.  Notwithstanding  all  his  hardships,  (for 
ho  has  travelled  everywhere  with  his  master,)  he  is  still 
the  favorite  horse  of  Col.  Fremont. 

The  hostile  and  insulting  court*  of  Castro  drew  Fra 
mont  into  retaliatory  measures,  and,  aided  by  tl:e  Amer- 
ican settlers,  he  pursued  the  Mexicans  for  some  time; 
but,  being  unable  to  make  them  stand  and  fight,  (they 
always  Hying  before  him,)  the  flag  of  independence  was 
nixed  at  Sonoma  on  the  5th  ol  July,  1846.  Learning 
BOOH  after  of  the  existence  of  the  war.  the  American  flag 
was  promptly  substituted,  and  the  party  proceeded  to 
Monterey,  where  they  found  the  fleet  under  Com.  Sloa^ 
already  in  possession.  Castro,  with  his  forces,  had  re- 
treated before  Fremont;  and,  to  prevent  their  escape 
into  Sonora,  Col.  Fremont,  with  a  hundred  and  sixty 
ijieu,  was  offered  the  sloop  of  war  "Cyane"  to  carry 
them  down  to  San  Diego  and  facilitate  the  pursuit,  as  he 
hoped  by  that  means  to  intercept  Castro  at  Puebla  de 
los  Angelos. 

Thou  Carson,  for  the  first  time,  saw  the  blue  ocean, 
and  the  great  vessels  that,  like  white-winged  birds, 
spread  their  sails  above  its  waters.  The  vast  prairies, 
whoso  immense  greou  surface  has  been  aptly  likened  to 
the  sea,  together  with  all  objects  ever  seen  upon  it, 
were  familiar  to  him,  but  it  proved  no  preparation  for 
actual  salt  water,  and  the  ["fide  and  strength  of  the 
backwoodsmen  were  soon  humbled  by  the  customary 
tribute  to  Neptune.  The  forces  were  landed,  and  rais- 
ed the  dug  at  San  Diego,  and  then  they  proceeded  joint- 
ly to  the  capital,  (Ciudad  de  log  Angelos,)  where,  al- 
t'longh  from  the  detention  at  sea  Castro  had  escaped, 
American  authority  was  also  established. 

From  this  point, dn  the  1st  of  September,  1846,  Car- 
son, with  15  men,  wn»  despatched  by  Fremont  with  an 
account  til"  the  progress  and  state  of  affairs  in  that  dis- 
tant conquest.  Carson  was  to  make  the  journey  from 
Pueblo  to  Washington  City  and  bach,  in  140  days.  Me 
pushed  ahead  accordingly,  not  stopping  even  for  game, 
but  snlisi*tin<:  on  his  mules,  of  wh:ch  they  made  food  as 
the  animals  bro'.ce  down  in  the  rapidity  of  the  journey. 
lie  iiud  crossed  the  wilderness,  as  he  expected,  in  30 
days,  when,  meeting  with  Gen'.  Kearney's  company 
within  a  few  miles  of  Sante  Fe,  he  was  turned  back  by 
that  officer,  to  whose  orders  he  believed  himself  sub- 
ject, and  with  infinite  reluctance  resigned  his  despatch- 
es to  another.and  returned  to  guide  Kearney's  command 
in  California. 


Gen.  Kearney  entered  California  without  molestation 
until  the  fight  of  San  Pasqual,  an  official  account  of 
which  has  been  published.  In  the  charge  made  upon 
the  Mexicans,  Carson,  as  usual,  was  among  the  foremost, 
when,  as  ho  approached  within  bullet  range  of  the  ene- 
my, who  were  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle,  his  horse 
stumbled  and  fell,  pitching  him  over  his  head,  and 
breaking  his  rifle  in  twain.  Seizing  his  knife,  he  ad- 
vanced on  foot  until  he  found  a  killed  dragoon,  who'se 
rifle  he  took,  and  was  pressing  on,  when  he  met  the 
mounted  men  returning  from  tho  charge,  the  Mexicans 
having  galloped  off. 

At  the  instance  of  Carson,  the  American  party  then 
took  possession  of  a  small  rocky  hill,  near  the  scene  of 
the  balile.  as  the  strongest  position  in  reach.  Not  being 
in  a  situation  to  go  forward,  they  encamped  here  ;  and 
the  enemy  collecting  in  force  they  remained  in  a  state 
of  siege.  There  was  little  grass  or  water  on  the  hill,  and 
soon  both  animals  and  men  began  to  suffer.  The  way 
was  so  thickly  beset  by  the  enemy,  that  the  commander 
doubted  the  propriety  of  attempting  to  cut  a  passage 
through,  when,  alter  four  days'  siege,  Carson  and  Passed 
Midshipman  Beale,  of  the  navy,  who  had  been  sent  to 
meet  Kearney,  with  some  thirty  men  as  a  complimenta- 
ry escort  to  San  Diego,)  volunteered  to  go  to  Captain 
Stockton,  at  that  place  and  bring  a  reinforcement. 

This  daring  enterprise  these  intrepid  and  resolute 
young' men.  accompanied  by  a  Delaware  Indian,  who 
was  attached  as  a  spy  to  General  Kearney's  command, 
successfully  accomplished,  but  not  without  extreme  suf- 
fering and  peril.  The  distance  between  the  camp  and 
San  Diego  was  but  thirty  miles;  but.  as  they  had  to 
make  long  detours,  they  travelled  nearer  fifty.  They 
left  the  camp  in  the  nightof  the  Sill  of  December,  crawl- 
ing in  a  horizontal  position  through  the  enemy's  lines. 
Their  shoes  made  some  noise,  for  which  cause  they  took 
them  off,  and  during  the  night  unfortunately  lost  them. 
Lying  by  nil  day  to  avoid  the  enemy,  they  succeeded 
by  the  end  of  the  second  night  in  reaching  their  destina- 
tion, and  procuring  the  necessaiy  reinlorcement.  Their 
feet  and  tiesh  torn  and  bleeding  from  the  rocks  and 
thorny  shrubs,  haggard  from  hunger,  vhirst,  anxiety  and 
sleeplessness,  they  were  again,  nevertheless,  in  full  per- 
formance of  duty  at  the  battles  of  the  8th  and  Olh  of  Jan- 
uary. 

When  Fremont  after  meeting  with  and  accepting  the 
surrender  of  the  Mexican  forces,  reached  Los  Angelos, 
Carson  immediately  returned  to  his  command,  and 
the  ensuing  month  was  again  selected  to  cross  the  ide- 
sert,  the  wilderness,  the  mountains,  and  the  prairies,  to 
bring  news  of  those  far-off  operations  of  its  agents  to  the 
government  in  Washington.  Leaving  the  frontier  set- 
tlements of  California  on  the  25th  of  February,  Carson 
arrived  in  St.  Louis  abrut  the  middle  of  May — making 
the  journy  notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the  season, 
and  an  unavoidable  detention  of  ten  days  at  Santa  Fe,  in 
a  shorter  time  than  it  was  ever  before  accomplished  in. 

The  unsettled  state  of  the  country — the  war  with 
Mexico  inciting  the  savage  tribes  to  unusual  license  and 
daring— added  much  to  the  inevitable  hazards  and  pri- 
vationsbf  the  journey,  rendering  the  most  unceasing 
vigilance  necessary  night  and  day;  while  the  speed 
with  which  the  party  travelled  debarred  them  from  the 
usual  resource  of  travellers  in  uninhabited  regions  and 
they  were  fain  to  resort  to  the  unsavory  subsistence 
of  those  hippophagi  of  the  Sierra  Nevada;  only  con- 
verting the  poor  beasts  to  food,  however,  when  they 
were  travel  worn  and  exhausted. 

Fortunately,  the  journey  was  made  in  its  extent  with- 
out serious  mishap,  and  Carson,  Lieut.  Beale.  his  com- 
rade in  the  night  march  to  San  Diego,  and  Lieut.  Talbot, 
the  youog  gentleman  who  led  the  gallant  retreat  of  the 
little  party  of  ten  through  the  enemy's  midst,  a  distance 
of  three  hundred  miles  from  Santa  Barbara  to  Monte- 
rey, are  all  now  in  Washington. 

Since  Carson's  arrival,  he  has  received  u  commission 
of  lieutenant  in  the  rifle  regiment  of  which  Mr.  Fremont 
is  the  Lieut.  Colonel. 


WHAT  A  WOMAK  SHOULD  BE  ALPHABETICALLY. — A 
woman  should  be  amiable,  benevolent,  charitable,  do- 
mestic, economical,  forgiving,  generous,  honest,  indus- 
trious, judicious,  loving,  modest,  neat,  obedient,  pleasant, 
quiet,  reflecting,  sober,  tender,  urbane,  virtuous,  wise, 
'xemplary,  yielding  and  zealous. 

What  a  Woman  should  not  be — Artful,  bold,  cross,  de- 
ceitful envious,  fretful,  grovelling,  hollow  hearted,  idle«j 
jadish,  knavish,  lazy,  morose,  nonsensical,  officious,  pet- 
ulant, quarrelsome,  ranting,  snappish,  talkative,  unrea- 
sonable, vain,  wrangling,  "xtravagant  or  yawning. 

-     Portland,  Bulletin. 


FA?ISI,Y  ijU.tKUEI.S. 

The  editor  of  the  Philadelphia  U.  S.  Gaza»!e  gives  the 
following  relation  of  an  interesting  scene,  which  ho  ob- 
served, while  on  a  recent  journey  : 

I  had,  with  special  selfishness,  placed  my  small  valise 
under  one  seat  in  the  car,  while  I  took  another,  so  that  I" 
occupied  a  bench  to  myself;  and  a  lady,  who  seemed  to 
be  unattended,  hnd  quiet  possession  of  the  bench  imme- 
diately in  front  of  me.  Most  of  the  other  places  in  tho 
car  were  occupied.  At  a  stopping  place  another  lady 
was  admitted,  and  the  conductor,  with  due  regard  to 
propriety,  placed  her  on  the  bench  with  the  solitary  fe- 
male in  front  of  me.  It  was  not  until  we  had  run  sever- 
al miles,  that  some  trifling  matter  arrested  the  attention 
of  all  the  passengers,  and  brousht  the  two  in  front  of  me 
face  to  face — and  such  faces  I  have  not  often  seen. — 
They  were  alike  in  features  and  expression,  they  were 
alike  also  in  the  exhibition  of  feeling,  surprise,  anger, 
and  mortification. 

"Is  that  you,  Elizabeth?'' 

"Yes,  Mary,  it  is  I,  but  I  certainly  did  not  know  you 
were  here,  or  I  should  have  found  another  seat,  and  I 
will  seek  one  now." 

She  looked  around,  but  was  evidently  struck  with  the 
sudden  sense  of  the  impropriety  of  such  a  movement. 

"I  should  suppose,  if  you  could  find  time  to  go  to  the 
city,  you  could  have  found  lime  to  attend  your  father's 
death-bed." 

"If  I  did  not  attend,  it  was  because  I  knew. you  had 
been  sent  for,  too,  and  I  had  no  wish  to  see  you  there." 

"You  might  have  gone,  for  I  supposed,  of  course,  you, 
would  atlend,  and  so  I  staid  at  home." 

Unwilling  to  listen,  I  attempted  to  read,  and  succeed- 
ed in  avoiding  a  considerable  portion  which  followed.-— 
It  was  evidently  altogether  domestic,  and  required  nei- 
ther assistance  nor  listener.  At  length  it  became  almost 
impossible  lo  avoid  hearing  a  portion. 

'  Your  husband  might  have  helped  it,  if  he  had  chosen 
to  do  right." 

"Most  people  can  judge  better  of  other  people's  hus- 
bands' bad  character,  than  that  cf  their  own — al  least 
they  seem  to  hear  more  of  it;  iny  husband  tried  hard 
enough  to  settle  tho  difficulty." 

'•The  whole  family  peace  might  have  been  preserved, 
and  the  family  property  havebeeu  saved,  if  you  had  not 
undertaken  to  rule  us  all  for  your' own  good. 

"I  rule!     Well,  that  is  well  J-    /rule,  indeed!" 

"Did  you  not  say  to  ,  that  you  would  never  have 
rest  until  you  had  driven  us  oil  the  homestead!" 

"No,  never." 

"Did  you  not  inquire  of  lawyer  M  ,  what  amount* 
of  money  would  satisfy  a  mortgage?" 

"My  husband  did." 

"And  was  not  that  in  order  to  take  possession  of  the 
place?" 

"No;  my  husband  had  received  money,  and  he  was 
anxious  that  you  and  yours  should  have  the  advantage  of 
it,  and  he  sought  to  become  the  creditor  himself.  I 
confess  that  it  was  against  my  wish,  as  I  knew  he  could 
buy  the  place  at  auction  for  less  that  he  would  advance 
on  it,  and  I  had  no  reason  to  wish  you  better  off." 

"And  why  not?" 

"Did  not  all  of  you"— 

Here  was  an  approach  to  matters  yet  more  sacred,  and- 
I  opened  tho  window  of  the  car. 

But  while  it  appeared  that  the  act  charged  was  per- 
formed, it  became  evident  that  the  motive  was,  in  son. 
cases,  directly  good,  and  in  others  not  evil. '  Suspicions 
had  sprung  up,  jealousies  had  been  fomenting,  and  a 
little  tattling  been  exorcised,  and  a  family  which  had 
been  reared  in  affection  or  without  differences,  had  split 
upon  some  imaginary  point  of  pennies  or  kindness.  In- 
stead of  appealing  personally  at  the  first  erroneous 
movement,  each  stood  apart,  and  anger,  and  all  unkind- 
ness  were  nourished.  The  old  widowed  father  had  been 
allowed  to  die  without  the  sacred  offices  of  his  daugh- 
ters— daughters,  the  blessing  and  the  reward  of  paterni- 
ty. The  property  had  been  wasted,  and  the  stranger 
had  been  benefitted  by  the  wrong. 

It  was  some  time  before  either  of  the  party  in  front  of 
me  could  speak.  At  length  one  turned  to  the  other  and 
said:  "So  father  died  and  was  buried  without  us."  A 
band  of  each  was  dropped  between  the  seat;  they  met 
in  a  firm  grasp. 

The  ladies  alighted  at  Lancaster,  and  went  into  one  of 
the  houses  al  the  depot ;  in  a  room,  they  evidently  dis- 
cussed their  domestic  estrangement,  and  in  view  of  the 
sufferings  which  their  folly  had  caused,  the  one  threw 
herself  upon  the  bosom  of  the  other,  and  'they  lifted  up 
their  voices  and  wept." 

"Let  us  not  part  now,  Elizabeth,  come  with  me — put 
your  trunk  into  my  carriage,  and  go  home  with  me 
new." 


